Trump again says the US could “abandon” Europe

At the White House, reporters asked Trump to clarify remarks he made at a campaign rally in Kansas on October 19. When a journalist reminded him that he had said the United States could “abandon” Europe, Trump reaffirmed the statement.

“Yes, abandon it,” the president replied.

Trump did not explain what practical measures Washington might take in such a scenario. He said Europe needed to change its behaviour.

“We want to help. We want to be with them,” Trump said. However, he warned that Europe could lose its current character if it continued along the same path.

The president also referred to immigration-control problems in France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy. In his view, people who entered countries illegally should be deported. Otherwise, he argued, the future of the European Union could be at risk.

A day earlier, Trump had also said Europe needed to find its own way soon when discussing mass migration. Otherwise, he suggested, the United States might have no choice but to leave.

Some American observers interpreted the remarks partly as a possible indication that Washington could consider withdrawing from NATO in the foreseeable future. However, the report does not state that any such decision has been made.